Apparatus for dispensing liquids



Dec. 1,}953 J. FRASER 2,661,135

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 11, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l I:Il 4 111 1 HI I ll 5 INVENTOR JOHN TIFA ER ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1953 J.FRASER 2,661,135

APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING LIQUIDS Filed Dec. 11, 1 951 3 Sheets-Sheet 272 @4 I t x I l I L j 52 37 g; 45 54 I 5 .,J 45 I 3 INVENTOR. J'OHNFRASER A TTORNE Y Patented Dec. 1, 1953 John .1 Fraser,, Tolworth, Surbi ton,-.. England; as; Signor. to. Averm-Hardoll. Limited,Tolwontl'r;

Siirbiton, England Application-December 11, 1951;.Serial N6i261";069:

Claims priority; application Great Britain December 14; 1950 Thisinvention relatesto, apparatus for dis pensing. liquids, .the. apparatusbeingt intended primarily for the .di'spensingTofflubricatingpil tovehicles .at garagesandilike establishments: It has. been. the usual.practice. of some" manufacturers .of. lubricatingaoilsito supply the.oil. in sealed. containersv of" various sizes, .which'" are opened-.only when the .lub'ricatingjoil is' supplied to. a customerbwa garage,but otherwise 'oil has commonly. been -dispensedjfrom a bulk supply;jug-like measures beingrused inwhich the oilwas carriedirom. thesupplyto the vehicle for which it was intended-L. The ,use .offsealed'containers is restricted. by, the. availability of the containers, and.the supply in-measures is bothopent'o abuse by inaccuratefilling. of.the measures, and unsatisfactory from-.the pointofvie'w ofclanliness'sin'ce the measures, being always. coated with oil,readilyretain dust andpther. foreign matter? Wet hosedispensingsystemshave been proposed; but are necessarily BXIJEIlSiVG,and in view of the relatively small totall'salesof. lubricating.., oil fby normal garagesand the number. of differentfbrands and gradeswhich.must .be stocked, they. arejnot an economic proposition. except.for veryilar'ge establishments.

An object of .theinvention is to provide a liquid dispensing .unitwhichdefeats any attempt by the user to giveshort measure or to mixaliqui'd calledjor withan-infe'rior grade. AnotherxobE- ject istoprovide a liquid dispensing; apparatus includingsuch'.a..unit;ltheapparatus as a whole' being .arrangedtosupply the liquid'in aclean anduncontaminated condition.

Aifurther. object is to provide; a dispensing apparatus which .can beused'selectively' for supplying, any one of a number of. oils or otherliquids. and lenabls the purchaser to ascertain that the .correct liquidis supplied."

According-to one feature.oftheinventionya liquiddispensing. unitcomprisesja" cylinder; a"

piston displaceable in one direction by'li'quid en'- tering the cylinderthrough an'orifice-andmovable in the other direction to expel thesaid'liquid through. the same orifice; a valve "in" said"orifi'cehaving. manual openingand closing means; and i The means forclosure=-preventing *ppsitionhy movement of the piston from either o f'its eirtreme positions:-

According to another 'featu'r'e' of the-invention, apparatus fordispensing" liquids com-prises, in combination; a dispensingunitaccording to either" of the' 'preced-ing paragraphs: a simply point, andmeans' fdr connecting 'said supply-point to" a*' sourceor liquid-urrderpressurey the supply point being-provided?with-a valve" cooperatii rg with thevalve=-in"-the dispensing unit; and the dispensingunit and *supp-ly point being 'providd with" interlocking means; theengagement" of which bringsthevalves to a position irrwhich tlfe valveprthe--dispensing unit;; when-opened? inipartsiop'ening.movement to thevalve in the supply-point: the*opening?oi thie valves preventingrelease-of the interlocking mea'nsf Ai-plurality'of supply points-are'prefrably pro 'vided-" in'*asingle supply uniti" The. invention* ishereinafter described 1? with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich-=- Figure l is *asectional elevatiorn of a complete liquiddispensing apparatus according to the invention t for dispensinglubricating oil w: motor vehicles:-

Fi'gure2isan elevationi'partlyin section; of a liquid. dispen'singunitj' thpistorrhiflg-sliowh in I the. positiowwhi'ch "it occupies*wh'en th'e=-unit ls empty;;

Fig ure"4is a dtailview, "in "elevatiom of the nozzle end of, thedispensingnnit';

Ei'gure 5 isfa section' throu'gh -oneof-the supply pointsofithefdispensing apparatus showing 'the nozzle.IOfThBidiSDl-iflfifi?Uniting ertd- "there'in lou't not interengagedtherewith to revent withdrawal; j

Fi'gureZG' is :aview similar-td'Ffgure 5 bi 1ii shbW in'gj. theidispensing'unit intren'gagecl" with the mpplytunitfiandthe waives pem-Figure 'ris' aplamviewofja supply oints-partly in sectionpnitheline1.""1bf Ffgured and Rifrring Iii-Figure l -'ofthehrawings; a supp1y,unit I 0.? comprises" a* hollow pedestal having'i a base I linner'and"outertubulan walls l 2 and l3, andf a'*fix'edannulalr -'top='plate i 4 extnizlinzgmoetweenithewall's wand-' 3? Mduntedzin'fitne plateM1 inij'circumferentiai arrays are: a number fof i of the plate isopened by a trigger to the handle 39 and housed in a recess 58m the 3spaced except that twice the normal spacing is provided between one pairof adjacent points. Each supply point I5 is connected by a conduit l 6to a supply of oil under pressure, the conduits l6 being led out throughthe base of the pedestal. A cover plate I1 is rotatably mounted at I8 onthe plate l4, the cover plate |1 having a frusto- The piston 40 is urgedtowards the nozzle end of the unit by a spring 59. The sleeve 48 isenlarged internally at its ends, as shown at 60 and 6|, chamfered rings62 and 63 being fitted against the shoulders formed by the changes ofbore diameter. The stem 41 is formed with three apertures 64 in a commonplane perpendicular conical edge surface |9 which is surrounded by a rimsecured to the plate I4, the rim 28 being formed with windows 2|. Asingle hole 22, on the same pitch circle as the supply points I5 is.provided in the cover plate l1, and legends are printed or otherwisemarked on the surface |9 so that when the hole 22 registers with anysupply point, a legend is visible in each window indicating the brandand grade of oil available at that supply point.

The space within the upper portion of the inner tubular wall |2 providesa housing for a dispensing unit 23 when the latter is not in use, theunit 23 resting on a rubber ring 24 supported on a flange 25. A cap 26,hinged at 21 on the cover plate l1, covers, when closed, the housing forthe dispensing unit 23 and the hole 22, being secured in the closedposition by the hooked end of one arm 28 of a latch member pivotallymounted at 29 on the cover plate H. The latch member has a second arm 30which, when the latch is operative, enters, if the cover plate is in thecorrect angular position, between two lugs 3| on the plate |4, thuspreventing rotation of the cover plate I1. The latch member is urged bya spring 32 to the engaged position, and is retained in that position bya key-operated lock 33.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings, the dispensing unit23 comprises a transparent cylinder 34 located in an apertured metalcasing 35 integral with a frusto-conical end member 36 tapering to adelivery nozzle 31. A

second end member 38 is screwed into the other A end of the casing 35,the end member 38 having attached to it a laterally projecting handle39. A piston 49 having a short cylindrical portion 4| which fits in thecylinder 34 and carries a liquidtight packing ring 42, has a taperedportion 43 the cone angle of which is very slightly larger than that ofthe end member 36, terminating in a short cylindrical portion 44. Thenozzle end of the member 36 is divergent outwardly, the delivery nozzle31 being a separate member which is a press fit on an externallycylindrical part of the member 36, the bore of the nozzle beingdivergent outwardly as shown at 45, and having a pair of diametricallyopposed longitudinal grooves 46 in its inner wall.

A tubular stem 41 projects into the cylinder 34 from the end member 38,and slides within a sleeve 48 fixed to the piston 40. A valve rod 49extends through the stem 41 and sleeve 48, passing through a bore 50,ing ring 5|, in the piston 40. The valve rod 49 carries, at one end, avalve member 52 having two frusto-conical portions with different anglesof conicity, fitting respectively. in the divergent end of the member 36and in the nozzle 31, the

latter portion being slotted diametrically to receive a plate 53,secured by rivets 54, the ends 53 constituting radial. wings 55.cooperating with the grooves 46 in the nozzle to prevent rotation of thevalve member. The valve member 52 is urged towards its closed positionby a spring 56 suprrounding the valve rod 49, and lever 51 pivotallyattached said handle.

in which is fitted a packto its axis, to locate three balls 65, thespacing of the rings 62 and 63 being such that when the piston is at thenozzle end of the unit, as shown in Figure 2, the balls can move outinto the enlargement 60, whilst when the piston is at the other end'ofits stroke, the balls can move out into the recess 6|, movement of thepiston away from either of these positions causing the balls to beforced radially inwardly into the stem 41. A chamfered disc 66 ismounted on the valve rod 49,:and the balls 65, when in their inwardposition, act between the edges of the holes 64 and the surface of thedisc 66 to hold the valve member 52 in the open position, the chamfer onthe rings 62 and 63 being so arranged that movement of the piston forcesthe balls inwardly and thus ensures that such movement is accompanied byopening of the valve member to a substantial extent. A light coil spring61 is mounted inside the'stem 41, and, when the balls 65 are in theirinward positions, this spring acts on them at points radially outwardlyof their centres, thus tending to hold them in the position in whichthey hold the valve member open. A plunger 68, having a conical nose 69,is mounted on the valve rod 49, having a limited lost motion thereon andbeing urged towards the valve member 52 by a spring 10, the nose 69,when the valve rod 49 is moved to open the valve fully, engaging theballs to displace them outwardly against the resistance of the spring61.

The nozzle 31 is provided with a pair of wings 1| which engage, ashereinafter described, with a groove in the supply unit to hold thedispensing unit in position therein, these wings being chamfered asshown at 12 in Figure 4, to provide easy engagement with the saidgroove.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 8, each supply .point l5 includes atubularbodyv 13 located in an opening in the plate M, to which the body issecured by bolts, one of which is shown at 14, passing upwardly througha flange 15 on the body 13 into tapped holes in the plate 14. The upperend of the body 13 is shaped internally at 16 to .receive the nozzle 31of the dispensing unit, and

is formed with an internal groove 11, the upper wall of which is cutaway at 18, to receive the ,wings 1| on the nozzle, a stop 19 (Figure 7)being provided in the groove which co-operates 'with one of the wings 1|to limit angular move- .in an enlarged cylindrical part of the body 13below the part 16, the valve seat member having depending legs 9| one ofwhich is slotted longi- -tudinally at 62 to receive a set screw 83 which.prevents the seat member from rotating whilst allowing it to moveaxially. A packing ring 84 prevents leakage of oil between the seatmember The seat member 80 is urged upwardly by a spring 85 against ashoulder 86 in the body, the spring 85 taking its abutment on a disc 81supported by legs 88 from a plug 89 screwed into the lower end of thebody at 96. The seat member has an upwardly convergent frusto-conicalbore into which a valve member 9| having a frusto-conical land 92 isurged by a spring 93, the valve member having a zoomed flange;v 914'which lies. between. the-1egs- 8 and serves to, gu de the valve member;the flange 94 also seating on a 1ip flilwonthe seatmembertt toclOSe.thepassage through the seatmember; Atjhe, upper. end; of the,frusto-conical bore in the seahmemher. soithere is,formed'an'-inward1yprojecting rib 535' (Figure 87, which'isgroovedat two, diametricallyoppositepoints, at'ilfi; These grooves are so. positioned that" they arealigned with; the Win s, 55; on the. valve member 52." oftheddispensing, unit when the. Wings 1! of the said, unit; have beenentered into; the; groove 71 and, the. iSDCIlSil'lg; unit turned tobring one of the; said. wingsfl'bup. against-the stop 19;.

T1111 plug; 8,9"h1as, a through. bore 9:? which is reduced in diameterat its upper end" to: receive a I r sfi'gnotched "atBQi'and having aflange 109 at its upper end; which rests normally on the top oftheplug-89e The plflnger-Q-Shttsa small passage till-passing through it'.Any su-bstantial fiowof oil from tl re co-ndu-it it through thesupply-unit i5'1ifts-theplunger-98; and; in doing'so; rocks'alevel-l asto the-position shown in Figure--63 the lever beingeonneeted to --anexternal indicator (not shown) which thus indicates'when-oilis-flowing;

When thedispensing -unit 23 is empty, the-piston- 49 is-at the nozzleend'of the unit 2 aseshown in-F'igureQ'; and "there is=substantiallyno-iesidue of 'o-illeft thereine To fill the dispensing'unit, the-nozzle37 1s inserted into a supply unit "I 5; the wings I! i being passedthrough the notches l8, and-' the dispensing unit: turned 1 through 90to engage the-xwings-Ti the groove- -73? and :bring one wing H upagainstthe stop 7'9. The+wings 55 on the valvemember- 52--are-' then inalignment E with the grooves: 96 in the valve seat member, andthe-rimorth e nozzle fil makesa fluid tight joint with -th'e--seat member- 8B,-forcing the latter --slightly-= away from theshoul-der' 86 a ga-inst the spring fihi Operation ofthe triggerlever- 'lwillthen-open both thevalvemember- 52 mthe dispensing unit and the valve memlo'ei 9 I in thesupply unit, such aetionheing impossib1e-in-- any other relative-angularposition of the twounits; as the wings 55 are-obstructed by-the=valveseat m'emmen 80 and-the valve member--52 cannot displace the valvemember-9l relative to'its-sea-t; As'soon dispensing unit; the-balls sare pushedinwardly-bythe sleeve-M to is position irrwhich they act on'the dise t 6 to prevent 'upward 'movement Of the valve rod, and v theval-ves are -theref0re prevented-horn closing until the dispensing-unitis -full; the: piston lfl having -reaoh'ed the positionshown inFigure-3", in which the balls can mover outwardly-"into the recess 6i}and allow theevalvescto:close: It will be noted that whilstthezvalves-zare open,: the dispensing unit cannot besremoved. from:thessupply-unit since the wings 55';.being;;inengagement '2 with boththe grooves lli'einithe .nozzle: s1; andthe grooves 96 in: the "seatmembers: Bil; -.prevent relative; turning; of the 2 two units;Thedispensingmnit thereforecannotrhe removed-from the supplyunit'until'it is:full,; thus ensuringthat it is completely filledig.

The .filled; dispensing unit is: then removed from the supplymnit, anditsnozzlerinserted:into, for--example,-- the oil filling. orifice-ofa;.vehicle engine; the -valve member '31 being ;kept intheolosedposition meanwhile:- The, valve member 31 .is then .opened by.operating-thei-trigger;lever 51 ;-.,and ..oil.. .commenees ;to show,from the dispensing unit, being forced out by the spring 59. The

6 initiahmovementof the'piston causesthe chain-- fered: ring to act onthe balls 65*- and" urge them inwardly; andtheyare retained'in" theirinward positionby the sleeve il' until the dis-'- pensingunit is empty.Thuycommencement' of I delivery ofthe-oil is-necessarily accompanied bymovement of the "balls tothe position in which they hold the. valveopen,andit is--impossible to stop the; delivery, before the whole contents ofthe dispensing unit" has"been delivered; although the valve member52gmaybet-moved' withinlirnits toivary the rate ofdeli'very. When the'dispensmg unit. is completely empty, the" balls are opposite to the recess 58"in'the sleeve #8; hutthe spring 672 prevents them from movingoutwardly, and ;manipulation of the trigger lever 57 to-b'rin thefrusto-conical'nose 69of the plungerBWbetween the balls is necessary todisplace them outwardly, Such manipulation of." the" trigger lever opensthe valve to its widestextenti giving free escape for thelast drops. of.oil. in the dis pensing unit.

Similarv full opening of'the valve member 52 must be efiected: toproduce displacementofi'the balls 65 when the dispensing unit has beenfilled. Thus the valve member. 52"must always be'open'ed fullyatlth'evendof'a filling or emptyingoperation, giving the freest possiblenow of oil'intoor'outof thedispensingunit, andfieven if the chamferedrings 62 and 53 are so. positionedthatth'efballs 65 cease to heretainedlinrtheir,inward'position by the sleeve lil slightly heforethepistonreaches the end of its. stroke, the. valve must'heso far open toallow their outward'movement tha-t"the piston stroke willlb'ecompletediheiiore' theiva-lve closes.

Any one of'the supply points I5"'may 'be made accessible to the.dispensingunit 23 by rotating the cover plate l'lto a'suitablepositiomgandthe appropriate legends on theied'ge l9fof thepl'ate l'i'arevisible through the windows}! 'wh'enthe plate is rotated'to the desiredposition: Access to. the dispensing;unitj.-23fjin its housing is'obltained bylifting ,the .cap, v2b,,whir'zh opens against a.-resilientstop 1031(Figure1). Thehol 22"11'1 the .cover platell'l.idarrangedltoregister with the gap between supply poihtsJFwhen -the;said plate islocked Lagainst; rotation, so. that;alL the supply points. are 7.covered and... protected; from dust and otherrforeign matter.

Dispensing units. ofidifierent sizes may, helprovided for supplyingdifierent .quantitiesof loiLgin order. to .avoidifilling- .atsmalliunitseveral; times when a-largequantityis required.

Whilst the. aboveparticular. description relates to. dispensingapparatus 4f or oil, and the; dispensing. of .oil is believed. .to. be.the. primary; fieldeof usefulness of :the invention, it isitotbe.understood that apparatus according tosthei invention :may also be usedvin.-the dispensing of otherxliquidst I claim:

1.. A" liquid: dispensingsunit comprising; 5 a; cylinder, a pistonmountedin saidtcylinder iand movablev between two-5' terminal.positions: therein, means sacting OIl'iihGDiSfiOll'iDO: urgezit towardsone terminal positiom atlrionesendaoi the cylinderga valve to 'closecanorifieetin the-said lend-rot the cylinder; resilient means; aetinggonzsaid :valveito close'it, manual openingmeanst-connected: to said valve,means to .hold said ,valve: in 'theaopen position and means carriedbyrthe'piston -tO'hO1d :the valve holding; means .insits. operative.position. at all: positions {oftheepistonintermediatexits1terminalpositionse 2. A liquid dispensing'unit comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder andmovable between two terminal positions therein, means acting on thepiston to urge it towards one terminal position at one end of thecylinder, a valve to close an orifice in the said end of the cylinder,resilient means acting on the said valve to close it, a stem fixed tosaid valve, means to move said stem axially to open the valve, a collaron said stem, a tube fixed in said cylinder and surrounding said stemand collar, a radial aperture in said tube, a detent member located insaid aperture and movable into the path of said collar when the valve isopen to prevent closing of the said valve, and a sleeve carried by thepiston and surrounding said tube, the sleeve having formed on it a camsurface to displace the detent member into the path of the collar as thepiston moves from either of its terminal positions and retain the detentmember in the path of the said collar until the piston reaches its otherterminal position.

3. A liquid dispensing unit comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted insaid cylinder and movable between two terminal positions therein,resilient means acting on the piston to urge it towards one terminalposition at one end of the cylinder, a valve to close an orifice in thesaid end of the cylinder, a tube fixed to said cylinder and extendinginwardly from the other end thereof, a stem fixed to said valve andpassing through said tube, manual means to move said stem axially toopen said valve, a collar on said stem, a detent member located in aradial aperture in said tube, cam means mounted on said piston andhaving a cam surface to displace the detent member into the path of thecollar as the piston moves from either of its terminal positions andretain the said detent member in the path of the said collar until thepiston reaches its other terminal position, resilient holding means tohold said detent member in the path of said collar independently of thecam means, and a release member carried by the stem to move the detentmember out of the path of the collar against the resistance of saidresilient holding means.

4. A liquid dispensing unit comprising a cylinder, a frusto-conicalextension at one end of the said cylinder, a handle at the other end ofsaid cylinder, a piston in said cylinder movable between two terminalpositions therein, a frustoconical extension on said piston which entersand substantially fills the frusto-conical extension of the cylinder atone terminal position of the piston, a nozzle at the apical end of saidcylinder extension formed with an outwardly divergent orifice, afrusto-conical valve member to close said orifice, a rod fixed to saidvalve member and extending through said piston to the other end of thecylinder, a trigger lever pivotally mounted on said handle and engagingsaid rod to apply a thrust thereto to open the valve, a tube in saidcylinder fixed to the handle end thereof and surrounding the rod, asleeve fixed to the piston and surrounding the tube, a coiledcompression spring surrounding the sleeve, abutments for said spring onsaid cylinder and piston whereby the said spring acts to urge the pistontowards the nozzle end of the cylinder, spring means acting on said rodto close said valve member, a detent member located in a radial hole insaid tube, a collar on said rod, the interior of said sleeve having acentral portion of uniform diameter and end portions of larger diameter,each of the said larger diameter portions co-operating with the detentmember when the piston is in one of its terminal positions to allow thedetent member to a sume an outward position, and the central portion ofsaid sleeve co-operating with the detent member at all times when thepiston is between its terminal positions to displace the detent memberinwardly, the detent member in its inward position engaging the collarto prevent closing of the valve member.

5. In liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquiddispensing unit nd a supply unit for filling the said dispensing unit,said dispensing unit and supply unit having mutually engaginginterlocking means, the liquid dispensing unit comprising a cylinder, apiston mounted in said cylinder and movable between two terminalpositions therein, means acting on the piston to urge it towards oneterminal position at one end of the cylinder, a valve to close anorifice in the said end of the cylinder, resilient means acting on saidvalve to close it, manual valve opening means, means to hold said valvein the open position, and means carried by the piston to hold the valveholding means in its operative position at all positions of the pistonintermediate its terminal positions, and the said supply unit comprisinga source of liquid under pressure, a socket, conduit means connectingsaid socket to said source, and valve means in said socket, adapted foropening by movement of the valve in the dispensing unit to the openposition and interengaging elements on the valve in the dispensing unitand in said socket, said interengaging elements co-operating when thedispensing unit is interlocked with the supply unit to preventdisengagement of the interlocking means.

6. In liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquiddispensing unit and a supply unit for filling the said dispensing unit,the liquid dispensing unit comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted insaid cylinder and movable between two terminal positions therein, meansacting on the piston to urge it towards one terminal position at one endof the cylinder, a valve to close an orifice in the said end of thecylinder and movable outwardly in said orifiec to its open position,radial wings on said valve engaging grooves in the wall of said orifice,resilient means acting on said valve to close it, manual valve openingmeans, means to hold said valve in the open position, and means carriedby the piston to hold the valve holding means in its operative positionat all positions of the piston intermediate its terminal positions, andsaid supply unit comprising a source of liquid under pressure, a socket,conduit means connecting said socket to said source, valve means in saidsocket engaged by the valve in the dispensing unit for opening thereby,and means co-operating with the wings on the valve in the dispensingunit to permit opening of the valves in only one relative angularposition of the dispensing unit and socket, mutually engaginginterlocking means being provided on said dispensing unit and in saidsocket and said wings and co-operating means" being positioned to allowopening of the valves when said interlocking means are engaged.

7. In liquid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a liquiddispensing unit and a supply unit for filling the said dispensing unit,the liquid dispensing unit comprising a cylinder, a piston mounted insaid cylinder and movable between two terminal positions therein, meansacting on the piston to urge it towards one terminal position at one endof thecylinder, a nozzle at that end of the cylinder, a valve to closean orifice in the said nozzle and manual valve opening means, and thesupply unit comprising a plurality of sources of liquid under pressure,a. plurality of sockets each connected to one of said sources and eachadapted to receive said nozzle, means to retain said nozzle in each ofsaid sockets, valve means in each of said sockets adapted for opening bymovement of the valve in said nozzle to the open position, a shieldhaving a single opening therein and movable to align said opening withany one of the sockets, and indicating means associated with the shieldto provide an indication changing with the position of the shield. JOHNFRASER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberNumber Name Date Wallace Nov. 27, 1927 Tunnell Dec. 26, 1922 HoldridgeMay 16, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Netherlands Nov. 15, 1948Great Britain Nov. 4, 1937

